Container



Nov. 30, 1943. c, ERB 2,335,268

CONTAINER Filed July 3, 1941 INVENTOR 1& 0%,: 62% 22 Wm ATTOR N E Y5 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 CONTAINER George 0. Erb, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 3, 1941, Serial No. 401,018

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tearing strip key opening cans or containers and has particular reference to a tearing tongue formed from an edge of the container body as an integral part of a tearing strip and secured to the opposite and overlapped end of the strip at the side seam joint and which is adapted to remain as part of such an end when the tearing strip is removed.

The present invention contemplates certain improvements in the construction of the. type of sheet metal container illustrated and described in the J. M. Hothersall United States Patent 2,089,959, issued August 1.7, 1937, and is especially directed to a tearing tongue formed at the slit edge of the container body and which is integral with the tearing strip.

An object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip can or container having an integral tongue part formed from a marginal edge of the container body at one end of a tearing strip, which strip is set 01f by score lines in the body wall, the tongue being folded along a diagonal line at its base directly upon the outer surface of the tearing strip and inward from the edge of the container body so that the opposite end of the tearing strip, extended as part of the lap section of a lock and lap side seam, may be secured to a portion of the tongue at the side seam leaving the remainder of the tongue extended for opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in such a container, of an integral folded tongue at the slit edge of a lap section of the side seam while in blank form and which is engaged and pressed upon the tearing strip in the side seam at the opposite side of the blank when the body is formed from the blank, the folded section at the base of the tongue being adapted to be fractured when the tongue is bent to unwind the tearing strip, the tongue breaking loose from its integral base and Winding the tearing strip from its opposite end upon opening the container.

A further object is the provision in a container I of the character described of a tearing strip set off by score lines at the lap section of a lap and lock side seam which is extended from oppositely disposed slit and notched edges so that one of the score lines passes across an integral tongue out and folded at the slit edge of thebody blank from which such a container is formed, the score line passing across the tongue and providing a break-off region adjacent its folded section, such a folded tongue upon being bent as during an opening operation breaking away from the slit slit and notched edges; Fig. 3 is a fragment of the body blank shown in Fig. 2, illustrating a tearing tongue formed integral with one end of the tearing strip which tongue is cut from the slit edge of the blank, said tongue being thereafter folded along a diagonal line into alignment with and upon the tearing strip;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of opposite upper edges of the body blank shown in Fig. 2 after the tongue has been folded and after the blank has been formed into tubular shape, this view illustrating the folded tearing tongue extended upon the outer surface of the tearing strip prior to having the opposite end of the tearing strip lapped upon a base of the tongue and prior to the hooked body edges being interlocked Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of that part of the container body shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the tearing tongue after being broken away from the slit edge and showing the tongue remaining attached to the opposite edge of a partially removed tearing strip;

, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 in Fig. l and showing the integral folded tearing tongue at the lap section of the side seam.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig.1 of the drawing illustrates a can or container ll having a bottom end l2 and a top end or cover l3 which ends are united with the body in the usual double seams M. The tubular body II is joined'together in a lock and lap seam as at l5. The container body H is formed from a substantially rectangular blank l6 (Fig. 2) having a plurality of slits I! in the slit edge of the blank and a plurality of notches l8 cutat the opposite The tearing tongue I9 preferably is folded along a diagonal line 25 (Fig. 3) so that the tongue may be extended inwardly from the slit edge of the blank It, in alignment with the strip and in engagement with the surface of the blank which ultimately will become the exterior surface of the container.

The lower terminal end of the score line 24 cuts across the tearing tongue and produces a weakened or break-off section as at 26. Such a weakened section later is utilized in separating the tearing tongue from its integral connection with the tearing strip 23 during the opening operation of the container, as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

Along the slit edge of the blank (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) the slits I 1 set off inner lap sections 21, 28 and outwardly bent hook sections 23 and 32. Along the opposite or notched edge of the blank, the notches I8 set off an outer lap section 33 which includes the region of the tearing strip and also inwardly bent hook sections 34'. and 35.

Figure 4 of the drawing illustrates the upper portions of the two edges of the body blank [6 after it has been formed into tubular shape and after the hook sections at each end thereof have been reversely bent into position for interlocking. This view clearly illustrates how the lap section 33 including the end of the tearing strip 23 opposite the tongue may be overlapped upon the base of the tearing tongue l9 including the score line 25, which at that time has been laid back against the body blank wall.

To complete the formation of the body the outwardly bent hook sections 29, 32 at the slit end of the blank are interlocked with the inwardly bent hook sections 36 and 35. The lap sections 21, 28 at the slit edge are lapped upon the inner surface of the notched edge and the outer lap section 33 is laid down upon the outer surface bordering the slit edge so that the notch edge of the tearing strip 23 is overlapped upon the folded tearing tongue is. As a final step in such completion of the can body, the hook sections of the side seam are bumped down in the usual manner thus providing the completely formed lap and lock side seam.

Fluxing and soldering of this longitudinal side seam may be done in the usual manner after which the fully soldered container body is ready for fianging at its open ends, This may be done in the conventional manner whereupon the bottom end 52 is double seamed or otherwise secured in place by means of the end seam joint M. This prepares the can for receiving its contents.

When the can is filled with its contents the top end closure I3 is double seamed or otherwise secured to the upper flanged end of the container body in the end seam i i. For conevnience in opening, a slotted key 36 is supplied with each sealed container and may be secured to the cover it! by welding or in any other desired manner.

Figure of the drawing illustrates a partially open container wherein the tearingtongue- H) has been broken away from its former integral connection with the slit edge of the sheet, the fracture having taken place at the soldered weakened or break-off section 25. The tongue is shown in its solder secured position on the opposite end of the tearing strip 23 this junction having been made during the soldering of the side seam. Furt e u wi d n of the tearing strip from this position will open the container, the lit end of the tearing strip being the last to leave the container wall.

In some cases it is not necessary to carry the bottom score line 24 across the base of the tongue i9 in order to produce the weakened section 25. When the folded tongue is pressed together at the line of fold 2 5 (Fig. 6) with sufiicient force the metal will be crystallized and the diagonal line of fold then will form the break-on section for the tongue.

This invention like the John M. Hothersall patent hereinbefore referred to, effects a considerable saving in the material in the body blank by avoiding the loss or waste of material between adjacent blanks when a tongue is formed from a part thereof. Since the tongue is formed and disposed within the edge or marginal confines of the body at the lap section of the side seam, the tongue material is cut out of the blank and is about equal tothat necessary for forming a continuous hook of a lock seam section and therefore a much smaller blank produces the same size of container. According to the present invention, the prepared blank lends itself to more efficient handling on standard body makers and other machines used in the container manufacturing field and constitutes an improvement in such respect over the container and blank disclosed in th Hothersall patent.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof;

I claim:

1. A key opening container comprising a tubular sheet metal body having its opposite edges joined in a lock and lap side seam and having a tearing strip set off by score lines extending through the lapped portion of the seam, said tearing strip having a tearing strip tongue constituting an integral part of said body at the inner lap of said side seam, said tongue being folded along a line at an angle to said strip into alignment with and secured at its base to the outer surface of said tearing strip, one of said score lines'extending across said tongue adjacent said fold to provide a frangible section, the opposite end of said tearing strip being overlapped upon and secured to the base of said tongue including said frangible section at the side seam, said tongue being adapted to fracture at the score line frangible section when it is pulled away from the container body by an opening key, said tongue thereafter remaining attached to the opposite overlapped and secured end of the strip as the strip is removed to open the container.

2. A key opening container comprising a tubular sheet metal body having its opposite edges joined. in a lock and lap side seam and having a tearing strip set off by score lines extending through the lapped portion of the seam, said tearing strip having a tongue constituting an integral part of said body at the inner lap of said side seam, said tongue bein folded along a line at an angle to said strip into alignment with and secured at its base to the outersurface of said tearing strip, the opposite end of said tearing strip being overlapped upon and secured to the base of said tongue at the side seam, said tongue being adapted. to fracture at the side seam when it is pulley away from the container body by an opening key, said tongue thereafter remaining attached to the opposite overlapped and secured end of the strip as the strip is removed to open the container.

' GEORGE C. ERB. 

